I Was Left for Dead When I Ditched My Man

I Was Left for Dead When I Ditched My Man

Article excerpt

Strangler Dale Wardle left a girlfriend for dead ( then pretended a burglar did it in a bogus confession letter to the Chronicle.

During the assault in the 38-year-old mum-of-two's Gateshead home, Wardle wrenched back her hair and punched her before she passed out.

Now the 39-year-old is facing years behind bars.

Today the woman, who can't be identified for legal reasons, said: "I thought I had died on the kitchen floor but woke up naked with cigarette burns on my body and my face black and blue."

Wardle throttled his victim with her pyjama top until she was unconscious during the attack last summer. She believes the stretchy material saved her life. When she saw her injuries in a mirror all the blood vessels in her face had burst due to the strangulation.

The woman said she met Wardle on the internet and began seeing him for the odd weekend for nearly a year.

He had travelled to Tyneside and she visited the home he shared with his parents in Huyton, Liverpool.

But she soon tried to end the relationship. Wardle refused to accept it was over and attacked her on July 9 last year.

Wardle was due to go on trial at Newcastle Crown Court but a new charge was put to him as it was about to begin.

Wardle denied strangling with intent to commit a sex offence, but admitted assault causing bodily harm and perverting justice by sending the fake confession - purporting to be a conscience-stricken burglar days after the attack.

His victim broke her silence to encourage victims of domestic violence to contact police.

She said: "I had an instinct about him and I tried to end it, but he kept saying that he knew I loved him.

"I'm an independent woman, I have two children who mean the world to me and he was too over the top ( he tried to hard to take over my life.

"We had booked a holiday to America and it had been paid for mainly by him, but I told him I would only go as friends."

The woman told of the attack after neighbours had gone back to her place for a drink following a barbecue.

She said: "After the neighbours left he grabbed my hair and punched me. …